Russ Colchamiro | Author of Finders Keepers, Crossline and Other Goofy Tales

Russ’ Newsletter: Vol. 6, No. 3: Crossline Ready to Rock!

Hey Gang-

It was a long, crazy summer on my end, and with that a lot of news to report.

On the home front, my little ninja man decided to make a jail break out of his crib last week, and wound up breaking his wrist. It was my first trip to the ER as a dad, and while I sure hope it’s my last, I have a feeling it won’t be! Little ninja man is doing just fine, and will get his cast off in about three more weeks.

As for my adventures with words and such …

CROSSLINE IS COMPLETE!

It’s been a long time coming, but at long last my second novel — Crossline — is done! D-O-N-E done-done-done. Coming in at just over 90,000 words, Crossline is a fast-paced, modern-day space opera filled with action, adventure, my usual time-bending, philosophical shenanigans, and of, course, loads of humor.

It’s a great feeling to have polished off this bad boy, let me tell you.

But rest assured you will see Crossline in print in 2013 … one way or another!

Yeah, baby!

FINDERS KEEPERS SEQUEL ON TAP

So now that Crossline is done, what’s next? Ooooh. Glad you asked.

While I work on the business side of Crossline, I’ll be heading right back into the lab and will be hard at work on the first of two Finders Keepers sequels!

That’s right. Your favorite globe-trotting knuckleheads Jason Medley and Theo Barnes will be at it again, off on another adventure where they try to figure out their place in the Universe without, you know … destroying it in the process.

My goal is to have Finders Keepers II ready to go by the end of 2013, so I better get cracking!

* MORE MILESTONE AHEAD

That’s all she wrote for this edition, but I can say it’s all but a guarantee that I’ll have another very cool milestone to announce next time. So until then, enjoy this fabulous weather, and to my Jewish friends, happy holidays …

All the Best!
Russ

www.russcolchamiro.com
@FindKeepNovel

Written by Russ
on September 13, 2012 at 6:26 pm

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Russ’ Newsletter: Vol. 6, Issue 2 – Crossline Follows Father’s Day

Hi Gang-

I’m back after a bit of newsletter hiatus, as I had an unusually hectic few months that required my attentions on multiple fronts. But I’m happy to report lotsa good stuffing coming. The best news, of course, is that my little ninjas are happy and healthy, and in fact have their second birthday coming up in August, if you can believe it. Good gravy!

As for my writing endeavors:

* At the end of March I had a table at the annual ICON sci-fi event in Stonybrook, where Finders Keepers sales were a bit off from last year, but still posed a very strong showing. The questions I was asked most often throughout the weekend? When is the sequel coming out, and will a movie follow?

The answers are: I start the first of two Finders Keepers sequels at the end of the summer and …. I sure as heck hope so! I’m working on it! For an inside look into a potential dream movie cast, click here.

And check out some new integalactic fans:

It was also fun catching up at the show with fellow authors Aaron Rosenberg, Keith DeCandido and Patrick Thomas.

* Speaking of Finders Keepers, here is a recent compliment, one of the most passionate responses I’ve received in a while: “I can spend an eternity here reading this stunning tale. It was an addicting sling of words that spun a silken web around me, entombed me and I just couldn’t pry myself away from it.”

* As for my newest endeavor, here’s the latest and greatest on Crossline. I will be spending the rest of this month doing intense line edits, fine tuning every last word to ensure that we come away with a rock’ em, sock ’em ass-kicking space adventure … with my usual time bending, philosophical shenanigans included.

After that, I turn the manuscript over to my loyal, trusted and fabulous copy editor Barney O’Neill — who did a bang-up job in the same capacity on Finders Keepers — to ensure that there’s not a word out of place.

And then … get this sucker published!

* Last but not least let me give a special shout out to my beautiful wife, Liz, who just celebrated a birthday, and also to all the dad’s out there for a festive and happy Father’s Day.

That’s all she wrote for this edition. Liz and I are headed off next weekend for a much-need vacation to Spring Lake, N.J., where we’ll spend three days on the beach, staring out at the ocean, while my ninjas and Simon storm the castle, er … get quality time with their grandparents.

Until next time …

All the Best,

Russ

Written by Russ
on June 14, 2012 at 3:51 pm

Filed under Books, General, In the Writer's Chair, Newsletter
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10 Tunes I Can Always Hear

No matter how much I might enjoy a certain band or singer, an album or even just a single song, there’s only so many times I can hear it. Sooner or later, I just get listened out. I need a break.

And yet there are a handful of songs I never seem to get tired of hearing. Sure, any tune can get old … eventually … but below are ten songs, in no particular order, that I seem to listen to no matter what.

This not an exhaustive list, but a good place to start:

* Driving Blue Cars (acoustic version) — Dishwalla
* Two of Us — The Beatles
* Easy Money — Billy Joel
* Walking on Sunshine — Katrina and the Waves
* Hazy Shade of Winter — Bangles’ version
* Twilight Zone — Golden Earing
* Walk On — U2
* Losing My Mind — Daughtry
* Hey Hey What Can I Do? — Led Zeppelin
* Levon — Elton John

So now that I’ve shared my list … what’s on yours?

Written by Russ
on May 17, 2012 at 5:26 pm

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ICON 2012: Where’s the Finders Keepers Movie?

Sorry for the delay in reporting back, but after ICON I got hit with a wave of colds and allergies that kept me in no-man’s land for a while. But now that I’m back in action, here are the highlights:

While sales were not quite as brisk as last year, I still sold many copies of Finders Keepers. And the biggest reason I didn’t sell more: many of the attendees bought a copy last year! So I better get cracking on the next book.

And the top two questions I got all weekend:

•When does the sequel come out?
•When will see a Finders Keepers movie?

The answers are: I start writing the sequel once Crossline is done and … I have no idea. Of course I would LOVE to see Finders Keepers get the movie treatment, but Hollywood is a tricky business. Although I do have a few ideas up my sleeve, so all I can say is … stay tuned!

And speaking of movies, check out some new fans I made:

I also spent the weekend next to a vendor from Ohio who spent the entire three days complaining about how much he hated New York and how the Democrats are ruining America. Not to mention how they’re all making waaaaaaay too big a deal of how we’re ruining the environment. Cuz, like, in the real world we don’t really drink contaminated water and breath polluted air and eat tainted food. It’s all just liberal propaganda.

Riiiiiiiight.

Anyhoo … I’ll be back at ICON next year, where they are moving the convention from Stonybrook to Hofstra, so maybe by then the magic elves who secretly run the world will decide on the only real, important option that will unite us all: bring Finders Keepers to the big screen!

Written by Russ
on April 23, 2012 at 10:02 pm

Filed under Books, Conventions, General, In the Writer's Chair, Photos, Rants
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There and Back Again: The Evolution of a Chris Daughtry Fan

Be with me. Here’s the scene:

My apartment. Queens, NY. Saturday morning. The sun is shining. I go to the computer, and load up iTunes. I scroll for Chris Daughtry’s new album, Break the Spell. I click on the third song, Outta My Head. I turn up the volume. Loud.

The music blares:

Bahm! Bahm!
Baddah-daddah-daddah-daddah
Bahm! Bahm!

I turn toward the front of my apartment. My twins — who are 20 months old — are in their high chairs waiting for me to feed them breakfast. Waffles and strawberries. Their backs are to me. And we hear:

I thought it would be easy, but it ain’t for me
It’s kinda hard, when you lay your heart on a one-way street

My son, then my daughter. First one hand, then the other.

I really thought by NOW!
You would’ve slipped my mind
But the kind of love sent from above is the killing kind …

My kids are fist pumping. They are head banging. And all because Chris Daughtry is bringin’ it.

Rock is in the air. Life is good.

The Idol Maker

Okay. Now it’s confession time. I wasn’t always a Chris Daughtry fan.

In fact, I dismissed his music.

When Chris first came on the scene back in 2006, all I knew was that “the rocker dude” from American Idol got voted off, and apparently it was unfair. I never saw the show, and had zero interest in learning more.

Yet my sister Alison said — repeatedly, ad nauseam — that Chris was the man.

Whatever.

Fast forward a few years and two albums later. At this point the only Daughtry songs I know are from the radio: What About Now, Feels Like Tonight and Life After You. These songs aren’t bad, but let’s face it. They’re not really directed at me.

To my classic rock-loving ear, Daughtry was very … Meh.

And though my sister insisted — avalanche-style — that Chris was awesome, I rejected her assessment. Here’s a typical exchange:

Alison: Dude. Listen to his voice.

Me: Don’t care.

Alison: He’s great.

Me: Nah.

Alison: Just give him a chance!

Me: I’ve heard the songs. They’re all the same to me. Snore.

Alison: Grrrrr …. Dude. You. Are. WRONG!

What I Meant to Say

Whether I was truly convinced that there was more to Daughtry than I gave him credit for — or I simply wilted beneath my sister’s onslaught — I finally listened to Chris’ first two albums, Daughtry and Leave This Town. I focused on certain tracks. No Surprise. Supernatural. Ghost of Me. Crashed. Every Time You Turn Around.

And eventually I admitted … okay, this is better than I thought.

But you know what really got me? That ass-kicking vocal hook in What I Meant to Say:

And I just thought … that you should know
That I’ve been holding on while you’ve been letting GO!

Now I’m starting to feel it. And I think: whoa, this guy’s voice is BOOMIN’. There are some great hooks. But I couldn’t understand why the more rockin’ tunes didn’t get more radio play.

Then it clicked for me. Chris was facing a marketing obstacle I hadn’t initially appreciated. The record label was putting out the songs they thought would sell. Fair enough. But in doing so they didn’t necessarily showcase who Chris really is.

They pumped out more of his softer-side tunes, keeping his potent, overdrive mojo a secret from rock n’ roll fans like me. I didn’t get Chris Daughtry at first because I didn’t know to look for him. As far as I knew, that guy didn’t even exist.

But he does. Trust me. He does.

Let’s Break the Spell

Having finally been converted, I was then educated that Daughtry isn’t just Chris with a backing band. Together, all the musicians — who co-write many of the songs and form the sound — make up Daughtry. This isn’t just a one-man show.

So by this point I’m diggin’ a bunch of Daughtry tunes … yet I still found the first two albums to be fairly similar. And despite the band’s talent, to me the overall quality of the song-writing just hadn’t caught up with that Hall of Fame voice.

Which then led me to ask: Will this band grow? Will the songwriting become richer and more intricate — textured with subtly and nuance? Will the guys trust themselves enough to layer more technical sophistication to their musical instincts and let their sound evolve as it naturally wants to? Or will Daughtry essentially release a third version of the same album?

Translation: Guys, I like you pretty okay, but I want to hear more. You can do better. You. Can do. Better.

And guess what? They did. Big time.

Break the Spell is — by a large margin – Daughtry’s most developed, confident and satisfying album. No dis on the first two records, but with BTS the boys took a significant, creative leap.

Just hold on tight to the Rebel Yell-style bad-boy opener, Renegade.

Or listen to Chris’ falsetto rising in Losing My Mind.

Get completely absorbed by the surging, devil-eyed chorus of the BTS title track:

The way you pull me in,
The way you chew me up,
The way you spit me out,
I KEEP COMING BACK! I CAN’T GET ENOUGH!
I CAN’T GO WITHOUT!

And the album’s most deliciously confessional lyric, from Losing My Mind:

You’re one part angel, one part danger
But, oh, the kind of crazy I like …

Oh, yeah. It’s go time. Daughtry is no longer just a solid, radio-friendly band with a killer voice at its core. They have begun their ascent as a musical force. They will stand the test of time.

Off on a Spaceship

Back in my apartment. My kids in high chairs. I’m feeding them breakfast. BTS is playing. Spaceship:

If somebody’s out there
Show me that you care
Give me a sign that comes out of nowhere

My daughter smiles, with strawberries on her face. My son then looks at me, looks at his sister, and we hear:

Like a shooting star
We’ll maybe laugh for miles
Something inside tells me we can’t be too far

The fist pump returns.

Rock is in the air. Daughtry.

And life is good.

Written by Russ
on April 21, 2012 at 10:51 am

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Russ’ Speaking Schedule at Lunacon 2012

Hey Gang-

It’s convention season again and I’ll be making my first appearance of the year. I’ll be speaking on several panels at this year’s Lunacon, a sci-fi convention in Rye, New York, March 16-18.

Here’s my schedule:

• Book Trailers, Sat 12:00 – 13:00, Westchester Ballroom A1

• Humor in Science Fiction and Fantasy, Sat 13:00 – 14:00, Maple

• Finding Good Self-Published Work, Sat 19:00 – 20:00, Birch

I’ll be joining author and Crossline editor James Chambers for the show, and will try and post a bit throughout the day on Facebook and Twitter.

And, as always, I’ll report back afterwards with highlights.

Hope to see you there.

Russ

Written by Russ
on March 14, 2012 at 1:47 pm

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Vol. 6, Issue 1 – Crossline Getting Close!

Hi Gang-

Welcome to 2012! I hope everyone had a fabulous holiday (which I know seems like centuries ago already) and is starting off the new year with a bang. (and apologies to anyone getting a duplicate here, as I’m still finalizing a new email template).

Of course my highlights continue to be time with the family. My little ones are a constant riot, dancing to music, building Lego towers that baffle my mind, tossing all the couch cushions on the floor and generally filling my world with hugs, laughter and smiles (when they’re not running me ragged!).

In the mean time, Liz and I have put our apartment on the market, and we’re doing some house hunting in New Jersey to give us a little more elbow room. So one of these days we’re moving back to the burbs!

As for my adventures in publishing …

* At long last I have Crossline pages back from wordsmithing buddy James Chambers, who went all out to find the brilliance (and clunkers) within the manuscript. I’m going full throttle (ha-ha) on my edits, and hope to have a finished, ready-to-go manuscript some time in the first half of 2012.

* Now that convention season is getting underway, I’ll be making appearances at the following venues this spring:

Lunacon, in Rye, NY, March 17-18, on various panels and schmoozing with the gang

I-Con, in Stonybrook, NY, March 30 – April 1, where I’ll be selling and signing books, and possibly be appearing on a few panels. Details to come.

* For you readers out there, I’ve been picking up an increasing presence on Goodreads (www.goodreads.com) which is really a great site for those of us who still love books (it’s like Facebook, but just for book readers). So if you haven’t already, drop by the site and let’s be friends!

* And last but not least, as Finders Keepers continues to make the rounds, I’m starting to pick up the pace on character arcs and key punch points for the sequel! So once Crossline is done, it’s back to the crazy world of Finders Keepers and those see what those backpacking goofballs will get up to next.

That’s all she wrote for this edition, but I’ll be back soon with new updates, and hope to have some more specifics on the panels I’ll be speaking on at the various conventions. Until then …

All the Best!

Russ

Written by Russ
on February 15, 2012 at 10:00 pm

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Russ’ 2011 Top TV & Movie Moments

With 2011 wrapped up I was all ready for my annual top 10 lists for best movies and best TV shows.

Well … through a combination of not enough time to get to everything I want to see — I knew fatherhood would slow me down somewhere — and a rather lackluster year of entertainment, I’ll be mixing things up this time around.

Rather than my usual top 10 in each category — TV and movies — what follows is a top 10 list of my favorites — TV, movies, moments and performances — all rolled up into one list. Starting with …

10. James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender in X-Men: First Class – Through the first three X-Men movies, Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian McKellan raised the characters/performances of Professor X and Magneto to iconic status. The odds of any actors slipping into the earlier life roles — and doing the characters justice — were remote at best. And yet both McAvoy and Fassbender brought the goods, making us believe those formative years were utterly real and how and why they developed into the elder versions of themselves we’re tied to forever.

9. Melissa McCarthy in Bridesmaids – A pretty funny movie in its own right, but Melissa McCarthy steals every scene she’s in. I’ll never look at a bridal shop sink the same way again.

8. Skyscraper Climb in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol: I did not like any of the first three MI movies, and Tom Cruise over the years went from movie star to raging D-Bag … and then MI4 hit the theater with a bucket full of holy crap! A generic plot and generally wooden performances, but this movie is two hours of heart pounding action that had me sucked in from the get go. And yet the ultimate show-stopper was watching Cruise’s Ethan Hunt scale the Burj Khalifia in Dubai –the world’s tallest skyscraper — in an aerial scene so visceral and extraordinary I almost blacked out. I don’t know how they pulled it off, but it’s not to be missed.

7. Brad Pitt in Moneyball – It’s tough enough selling a movie about baseball statistics and how they changed the way — to some degree at least — the modern ball club is constructed. But Brad Pitt playing real life general manager Billy Beane brings the goods, with his movie star looks and charm and the right mix of confidence and wounded soul that makes us care just that much more about a boys game run by very wealthy men.

6. Dexter, Season 6, Final Moment – The former best show on TV has become a shell of it’s former murderous self, but (SPOILER ALERT) the final moment of season 6, when our beloved serial killer is plunging his knife into the Doomsday Killer, and Dexter’s sister Deb walks in on him committing the act? FREAKIN. AWESOME. It was a long time coming, and now the final two seasons have an end game in sight we can all sign up for.

5. Boardwalk Empire, Season 2, Final Two Episodes — Though a solid show, Boardwalk Empire has never quite lived up to its hype and potential. But the last two episodes of season 2 is some of the best TV … ever. Intense, shocking and utterly gripping. The layers of psychological madness and intrigue still haunt me weeks later. I’m not saying it’s the best crime show you’ll ever see, but the ending of season 2 would be difficult for any show to top.

4. Homeland, Season 1 – Hands down one of the best political thrillers of all time, with writing and performances that knock your socks off, particularly from Claire Danes and Damian Lewis. From the creator of 24 and former show runner of Dexter, you’ve got a returned Iraqi war vet — back after 8 years of brutal captivity — trying to resume a “regular” life. But has he been secretly converted into a terrorist against the U.S.? Or is the lone CIA operative who’s convinced of his betrayal falling victim to her own mental illness? Or both? Or neither? Tense, intense and just downright amazing.

3. Rooney Mara in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – I’m a huge David Fincher fan, and Dragon Tattoo is another winner on his resume. But Rooney Mara sells this movie. She was so utterly brilliant in a grueling role, that it will go down as one of the most iconic performances in history. Like Christopher Waltz in Inglurious Basterds or Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter, it’s impossible for me to even imagine anyone else sinking into the character of Lisbeth Salander better than Rooney Mara. If she doesn’t win an Oscar, then Oscar should pack up his crap and go home.

2. Breaking Bad, Season 4 – The ultimate high stakes game of chess between high school chemistry teacher/turned meth genius Walter White, and mob kingpin Gus Fring, ended in a battle of wits we haven’t seen Kirk vs. Kahn. Even more so, watching Walt’s wife slowly fall in love with the gangster life, as his protege Jesse struggles to retain his soul despite all the awful things he does, and before our very eyes we’re watching Walt become a modern day Scarface. With only 16 episodes to go, this series can only end one way: with everyone finally breaking bad.

1. Game of Thrones, Season 1 – Essentially, this is a sexy, twisty, bloody, action-packed soap opera version of Lord of the Rings. So, yeah … full blown AWESOME. Going in I had absolutely no interest in Game of Thrones, but by the end of the second episode I was hooked. And it only got better from there. More than just epic fantasy, it’s juicy storytelling on a massive scale. Run, don’t walk. It’s that good.

Honorable mentions:

The Big Bang Theory, Modern Family, The Good Wife, Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Written by Russ
on December 29, 2011 at 10:45 pm

Filed under General, Movies, Reviews, TV
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Russ’ Newsletter: Vol. 5, Issue 11 – Happy New Year!

Hi Gang-

2011 has been a heck of a ride on numerous fronts, so I thought this would be a good time to recap the year, offer many thanks and give some insight into what lays ahead for 2012.

So as my hero Jackie Gleason used to say … and awaaaaaay we go:

* More than anything else, 2011 has been absolutely incredible watching Abby and Nate come alive. Abby will one day rule all of Metropolis, if not the Galaxy (and be a wonderful, wide-eyed leader at that), while Nate seems destined for the comedy circuit along the lines of John Belushi and Bill Murray, without, of course, all the personal drama.

Until then, they are as fast as ninjas and twice and smart, keeping Liz and I on our toes at every turn.

With a soft launch at the end of 2010, Finders Keepers made its way into the world in a big way in 2011. Among the highlights:
* Endorsement from Publishers Weekly
* National distribution contract
* Picked up by Barnes & Noble

And while the great reviews keep piling up, here’s my absolute favorite:

Ruled By Books reviewer Jaime Chambers said the following about me:

“Comedy writing in any form is hard to do well. The intangible stuff that makes people laugh can be hard to grasp and even harder to deliver. There are only a handful of comedic authors that I enjoy, tops among them being [best-selling authors] Douglas Adams and Christopher Moore. After reading Finders Keepers, I was happy to add Russ Colchamiro to that list.”

Here’s a link to the full interview:

http://www.ruledbybooks.com/author-interview-with-russ-colchamiro/

To be considered among the greatest comedic authors … ever? Wow. I’ll take it!

* With Finders Keepers in full groove, I’m now putting the finishing touches on my next book, Crossline. A stand-alone space adventure, Crossline is in the Buck Rogers/Flash Gordon style of space opera, with my usual time-bending philosophical ruminations that really give the adventure some extra layers of zing.

Good buddy and fellow writer James Chambers — who at one point collaborated with Spock himself, Leonard Nemoy, on some comic book projects — is editing Crossline, so I’m feeling pretty darn good about the process. Jim will be handing over pages to me any day now, and then I’ll spend the next few months staying warm, putting the final touches on what will be a rollicking adventure.

* So what’s in store for 2012? Oooh … so glad you asked! As noted, first order of business is wrapping up Crossline and then lining up a publication deal.

Then … I’ll be doing some conventions in the spring, where I’ll be signing copies of Finders Keepers.

And as I continue to promote Finders Keepers and line up that Crossline deal … I’ll start work on book No. 3 … the first Finders Keepers sequel!

In between, I’ll be out there on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads, trying to squeeze in a few blogs here and there, and chatting up my fellow creators along the way.

Somewhere in there I’ll also find time to you know … go to work every day, buy a house! Ahh! … and spend as much as time as possible with the family, which is my source of strength and inspiration.

Which leads me to …

* For this issue’s shout-out it’s a two-fer!

First, let me thank everyone who has and continues to support me. As I’m sure you know, this publishing gig ain’teasy, and there are days when I just ain’t in the mood. But your unwavering support and enthusiasm is nothing short of phenomenal, so to all who are behind me, my deepest thanks and gratitude. You rock!

Of course, Nate and Abby are an endless source of love and joy. My life has changed forever in the most remarkable way, and watching my children grow is simply spectacular.

And finally, to my wife Liz … who stands behind through it all, with my endless piles of paper and notes clutter here, there and everywhere. Since even before we met, she has always been the one. And while she may be my wife, she will always be my girl.

Okay. That’s all she wrote for this … year! I’ll be back in January with more updates, so until then … be festive, be safe … and Happy Holidays.

All the Best!

Russ

www.russcolchamiro.com
@FindKeepNovel
Follow me on Facebook and Goodreads

Written by Russ
on December 20, 2011 at 9:14 pm

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Russ’ Top 10 Rock n’ Roll Voices of All Time

I’ve been on a huge music kick lately, so in that spirit below is my list of the top 10 rock n’ roll voices of all time.

Now, to clarify … this list is strictly narrowed to Rock n’ Roll, so there are no pop, soul or R&B singers here. Granted, there are some cross-over artists, and you can certainly make cases that someone does or doesn’t belong in one category or another, but before you start screaming that Aretha Franklin isn’t on this list … of course she’s one of the greatest singers ever … but for this one list, I don’t consider her a strict Rock n’ Roll singer.

Also, this list of singers unto itself does not necessarily match which artists or bands I consider the best ever, nor does it take into account production values, song writing or number of “hits.” This is purely about which Rock n’ Roll voices I never get tired of hearing.

Okay. Enough with the wind up. Below is my list. Let the debate begin:

10: Jim Morrison: His pagan ways graveled up his voice over the last album or two, but the former Doors front man had such a soothing, haunting vocal range that transported me time again. Whether The End, Touch Me or Riders on the Storm, Mr. Mojo Rison was the Dionysian Rock n’ Roll guide of all time.

9. Stevie Nicks: The gypsy queen of rock. There’s no one else quite like Stevie. Edge of 17, Rhiannon, Landslide. That’s Hall of Fame right there.

8. Chris Daughtry: If there’s a modern day singer with a more BOOMIN’ voice, I haven’t heard it. And as powerful as he sounds on record, hear him live. I stood literally five feet from him at a recent performance, and my teeth are still rattling. Wow. This dude has a loooong career ahead of him. A once-in-a-generation voice.

7. Chris Cornell: The second coming of Robert Plant, Chris Cornell has that rare of combination of power and vocal range like a creature from Lord of the Rings. From Soundgarden to Audioslave, he’s one singer that always makes me stop and take notice.

6. Pat Benatar: Powerful, sexy and a growl to match. As fierce as they come. Shadows of the Night still stops me in my tracks.

5. Steve Perry: You might argue that Journey is more pop than rock, but I don’t care. This guy hits notes so loud, high and strong it defies logic. Anyone who says that at least now and again they haven’t done a little fist raising when this guy signs, is flat out lying.

4. Ann Wilson: She had me at Barracuda.

3. Grace Slick: Jefferson Airplane/Starship whatever had its share of highs and lows, but Grace Slick had a voice that made the Concord stop mid-flight to ask what the hell they just heard. Pure wow. White Rabbit still has some of the trippiest, haunting vocals ever.

2. Robert Plant: From Stairway to Heaven to the Immigrant Song, this Led Zeppelin front man had maybe the most howling voice of all time.

1. Freddie Mercury: With that operatic power and style, Freddy Mercury is the hands down winner. For me, it’s Freddy and then everyone else. Just watch him perform Radio Gaga at Live Aid and you’ll remember just how incredible he was.

Honorable mentions: Axel Rose, Roger Daltrey, Elvis, Scott Weiland, Chris Robinson, Steven Tyler, Chrissie Hynde

Written by Russ
on November 30, 2011 at 10:54 pm

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